This invention relates to a pocket for receiving and stacking various types and sizes of documents and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a paper document pocket used with a high-speed reader sorter for reading fields of characters on paper documents either magnetically, optically or both and sorting the documents into a plurality of pockets.
Heretofore, when using high-speed document reader sorters, paper jams and foldovers in the pockets have occurred due to different sizes, thicknesses and paper weights of the documents when the documents are sorted in sequential order.
Prior art reader sorters used for sorting paper documents have used springs, air jets and similar types of devices for holding already pocketed documents out of the path of incoming documents. Springs attempt to deflect documents away from incoming documents. However, static electricity and other causes can compel already pocketed documents to return to contact the spring before another document enters the pocket. Air jets can be used to solve this problem but they are expensive.
Further, prior art pockets quite often have the problem of incoming documents colliding with the tails of documents already in the pocket. These devices usually use a combination of springs to deflect incoming documents out of the path of the documents entering behind the earlier document. Also augers and air jets are commonly used. All of the above-mentioned document pocket devices have the above-mentioned problems.
In the following U.S. patents; U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,904,334 to Rabinow, 2,944,813 to Smith, 2,994,529 to Relis, 3,087,724 to Snowdon et al, 3,187,872 to Hill et al, 3,869,117 to Yoshimura, 4,313,660 to Larson et al, 4,340,213 to Jensen, 4,385,758 to Ellsworth, 4,476,670 to Ukai et al and 4,509,739 to Kurokawa various types of document sorting devices and stacking apparatus are described. None of these earlier patents describe the unique features and advantages of the subject invention.